PITTSBURGH-A team from the Community College of Allegheny County
will participate in the National Robotics League competition on May
18 and 19 at California University of Pennsylvania. The team, which
is comprised of six students in the college's Mechatronics
Technology program at CCAC's West Hills Center, will compete
against college and high school teams from across the nation.
The team will enter "Torxus," a robot built by CCAC student
Shane Mickey when he was a competitor in the Southwestern
Pennsylvania BotsIQ program while at Central Valley High School.
The other team members are Christopher Bice, Kalie Conner, Austin
Fitch, Rachel Goss and Brad Nealon. The robot, which is
approximately 5 inches tall and 12 inches long by 8 inches wide,
has been modified by the mechatronics students for maximum
effectiveness in battle within the university's Convocation Center
arena.
In addition, the students are required to present a binder full
of information and answer questions about their robot pertaining to
the construction, weaponry, modifications and inspiration for the
design. Torxus will also undergo a technical and safety inspection
to ensure it meets all of the specifications. The students will be
putting their mechatronics skills to the test, as they must program
the remote controls that operate the robot.
"This competition involves everything they're learning as
second-year mechatronics students," said Janine Mickey,
Shane's mother and a CCAC Math Café facilitator who has been
involved with the BotsIQ program for many years.
The competition begins Friday evening and will continue through
Saturday. The last robot to be moving on the field of battle wins
the competition. A spirit award will also be presented to the
school with the most support.